3-9-2024 (SINGAPORE) Indonesian authorities have announced the arrest of a suspected terrorist, identified as Yudi Lukito Kurniawan, who allegedly plotted an attack on the iconic Singapore Exchange building in 2014. The arrest, carried out by Indonesia’s elite counter-terrorism unit, Detachment 88, has shed light on the intricate web of extremist networks operating in the region.
According to a statement issued by Detachment 88, the apprehended individual, known by the initials YLK, is affiliated with the notorious terrorist group Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The suspect was nabbed on August 21 in a village located in Gorontalo Province, on the island of Sulawesi.
“YLK is an Indonesian who joined the terror group Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula who planned to commit a terror attack against the Singaporean Stock Exchange in 2014,” declared Senior Commissioner Aswin Siregar, the spokesman for Detachment 88, during a press conference on Tuesday (Sep 3).
The alleged plot to target the Singapore Exchange building, a towering landmark in the city-state’s central business district, was said to have been orchestrated under the direct orders of AQAP. However, authorities have remained tight-lipped regarding the specific details of how the suspected terrorist intended to carry out such a brazen attack.
Delving into YLK’s background, Commissioner Aswin revealed that the suspect had participated in several terrorism training camps, including one conducted by the infamous Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) terror group in East Java in 2001.
YLK’s first brush with the law occurred in 2003 when he was arrested for possessing firearms entrusted to him for safekeeping by UM, a convicted Bali bomber. Subsequent to his release, YLK joined Jemaah Anshorut Tauhid, a splinter cell of JI, and travelled to Yemen in 2012 as part of AQAP’s global jihad.
“In Yemen, YLK claimed he was instructed by AM or AZ, a senior AQAP member, to carry out a terror attack on the Singapore Stock Exchange. In 2015, YLK attempted to enter Singapore via sea but was rejected by Singaporean immigration and deported to Batam,” Commissioner Aswin revealed, as quoted by the Jakarta Globe.
During the arrest, Indonesian authorities recovered a passport bearing the name Yudi Lukito Kurniawan and a piece of Singapore immigration’s inspection document, further corroborating the suspect’s alleged ties to the foiled plot.
“We are still investigating the evidence,” Aswin added, underscoring the ongoing nature of the probe.
The arrest of YLK comes just two months after the leaders of the Al-Qaeda-affiliated JI announced the dissolution of the terror group on June 30. However, terror experts have cautioned that despite this development, the threat of terrorism in the region remains potent, as Islamic State-backed Jamaah Ansharut Daulah and several JI splinter groups continue to operate actively.
On July 31, Detachment 88 foiled a suicide bombing plot involving a 19-year-old Islamic State sympathiser identified as HOK. The teenager, according to authorities, had learned how to assemble explosives online and was planning to target a religious site in Malang, East Java.
Less than a week later, on August 6, Indonesian police arrested two more Islamic State sympathisers accused of propagating the terror network’s teachings online. Authorities have stated that they have yet to find evidence linking these two cases.
Chinese (Simplified)
Filipino
Indonesian
Malay
Thai